Finidi reveals Rivers United’s CAF Champions League ambition

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Rivers United Technical Adviser Finidi George has called on football fans in Akwa Ibom to turn out in numbers and support the Nigerian champions as they look to secure a place in the next round of the CAF Champions League.

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Finidi spoke ahead of the second leg of Rivers United’s first preliminary-round tie against Ivorian side San Pedro at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, with the Nigerian side taking confidence from a 1-1 draw in the first leg.

With the decisive encounter approaching, the former Super Eagles coach said his players are ready for the challenge and believes the positive atmosphere around the team can translate into a strong performance on the pitch.

“This is our last training, so the players are sharp, and we are ready to go. I like the positivity in the crowd. I hope we can transmit that to the game proper tomorrow, and hopefully we will get the result that we all hoped for.”

Why Rivers United rebuilt their squad

Finidi also explained the decision to overhaul a large part of the squad going into the new season, insisting the changes were necessary as Rivers United seek to move beyond the level they reached in the previous two campaigns.

According to him, the decision was not solely influenced by their failure to progress from last season’s Champions League group stage, but also by the need for fresh energy after finishing as league runners-up in two consecutive seasons.

“We had to, we had to bring in a lot of players. Not just because we lost out, or we didn’t do well in the last group stage Champions League, just because we’ve been second in two consecutive seasons.

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“I think the players that we had, they reached their top. They cannot give us more than what they gave to us in the last two seasons.

“We needed fresh energy, fresh and younger players. That was why we made that decision to bring in a lot of new players and younger players.

“Going forward, I think these players are good players. We hope they can perform at this highest level.”

The Rivers United boss remains optimistic about what the revamped squad can achieve, particularly on the continental stage.

Finidi confident Rivers United will progress

Having watched San Pedro closely during the first leg, Finidi believes Rivers United have enough quality to finish the job in Uyo and advance to the next preliminary round.

“From what I’ve seen in the first game, I’m optimistic that we’re going to go through and play the next round of these preliminaries.

“So, yeah, last season is gone. We’ll try to work on what we felt didn’t work last season, especially in the Champions League. I’ll see if we can do better.”

The first-leg draw left the tie finely balanced, but Finidi insists Rivers United are not approaching the competition merely to make up the numbers.

The Pride of Rivers are targeting improvement in all competitions, including a serious push for the Nigeria Premier Football League title.

“It’s not just to compete, we also want to win games. Last season we couldn’t win a match in the Champions League, even though we had the opportunities here to have won against Berkane and Pyramids, and at the end of the day, we lost.

“So, we want to do better in the League, which means we’re going for the League title. We’ll see where the group stage will bring us to.”

Rivers United reached the CAF Champions League group stage last season, but Finidi wants his new-look side to go further this time.

For me, this is our home

One of the major talking points ahead of the second leg is Rivers United’s use of the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo as their home venue for continental matches.

For Finidi, however, the stadium already feels like home, and he has appealed to Akwa Ibom supporters to see Rivers United as a Nigerian team representing the country.

“For me, this is our home.

“Rivers United have been coming to this place for a couple of years. So, personally, since this is a Nigerian team, I personally urge the Akwa-Ibom fans to come out and support the Nigerian team.

“Not just the Rivers United, but the Nigerian team. If you can do that, which I expect them to do, it will go a long way.

“So, I want to beg the fans of Akwa-Ibom to come out and support us. We need their support. So, when the game ends, at least, we’ll do our own part to make them happy.”

He added: “So, I beg them to come out and support the Nigerian team. I’m not even calling Rivers United, it’s a team from Nigeria. So, I beg them to come out and support us.”

Rivers United captain Stephen Manyo also spoke about the significance of the game, particularly for the younger members of the squad who are hoping to use continental football as a springboard for their careers.

Manyo believes the Champions League provides an important platform for players who dream of eventually reaching the biggest leagues in Europe.

“This is a big moment, a big opportunity for us all. We have a younger players who want to grow, who want to play in big cities, not only in Africa, top football in Europe.

“So, I’ve tried at least to talk to them. If you really want to play football to the biggest leagues, this is the biggest platform you have in Africa. So, you have to step up as a person.

“You don’t really need me to push you that much for you to play. You have to play for yourself first. Play for your family, because you have family at home looking after you. So, you have to push yourself as a person.”

The captain also warned his teammates against allowing distractions to affect their performance, stressing that the responsibility to succeed ultimately lies with each individual player.

“Whatever distractions you’re having, you have to put that aside and focus, because it’s your career. If you don’t succeed, there are many people waiting for you to laugh at you. So, this is the biggest moment of football in Africa.

“So, try to push yourself as hard as you can to see yourself at the top level. Because I believe they have the qualities, just the willingness to do it. If they are willing to do it, I believe they will achieve great things.

“So, I’m trying as much as possible, one on one, trying to psyche them up, to motivate them. That you have this in you. You don’t have to let yourself down, you don’t have to let the team down. So, you have to push yourself. Because this is your career, you must make it.”

Manyo embraces pressure of captaincy

For Manyo, leading Rivers United is a responsibility he takes seriously, particularly with the team aiming to make its mark in Nigeria and on the African continent.

He admitted that pressure comes with the captaincy, but believes remaining calm is essential if he is to lead the younger players effectively.

“For me, I feel great captaining this prestigious team. It’s not a small team, both in Nigeria and Africa. So, I feel happy as a person. My experience has been good.

“I know there will be a lot of pressure. Because when the boys are not doing well, they come back to the captain. What are your boys doing?

“So, for me, I feel the pressure will be there. But this is my job as the captain. I have to try as much as possible to be calm. Because if I’m not calm, the boys cannot be calm. As a captain, I have to be calm to lead the boys.

“In troubled times, when things are not going well, I have to stay calm so as to lead them well.”

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We need that 12th man

Manyo also joined Finidi in appealing to the people of Akwa Ibom to fill the stadium and give Rivers United the support they need in the decisive encounter.

The defender revealed that the state has an added personal significance for him because his mother is an indigene of Akwa Ibom.

“This is where my mother is from. This is my mother’s place. I’m from Akwa crossing. So, I urge you to come and support us.

“Because this is my place, this is my home too. So, I urge you to come and support us. Because we need that 12th man. That 12th man is really important for football. Without that 12th man, we don’t know how we can perform.

“Just like, if you go to other African countries, only the presence of the fans are alone serves as extra motivation for their players. So, we really need that 12th man for that extra motivation. As a source of strength for us too.”

Rivers United will now look to turn the backing of the Uyo crowd into the result they need, with the tie still delicately poised after the first-leg draw in Côte d’Ivoire.